Dendrochronology of Cedrela fissilis (VELL.) (Meliaceae) in the subtropical region of Brazil

Abstract

The species Cedrela fissilis, popularly known as cedro, is an angiosperm of the Miliaceae family widely distributed in Brazil, mainly in the seasonal forests of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. Considered a long-lived species, C. fissilis can register in its woody anatomy, through growth rings, important ecological and environmental information, such as, the temporal performance in relation to year-to-year growth in the face of regional and global climatic variations. Using C. fissilis as a model species in the study of relationships between climate and forest growth and performance, this study aims to: i. through crossdating, investigate whether trees (70-110 years old) of C. fissilis form synchronic rings in the region of study that can be cross dated; ii. validate the dating of the chronology by the Carbon 14 method; iii. test the influence of variations in regional (temperature and precipitation) and global climate (Southern Oscillation Index - SOI; and Antarctic Oscillation Index - AAO) on the radial growth of the study model species. If growth rings are well correlated with local and global climate variables, then it will be possible to use C. fissilis to reconstruct the region's past climate. (AU)